Transgender psychological problems: depression to drug abuse

Anyone can experience psychological problems, but transgender people are at greater risk than average people. Issues related to health, environmental exclusion, and bullying (bully) is only one of the many factors causing it.

Transgender itself is not a psychological problem, let alone a disease as many people used to think. Transgender people are individuals who feel they are not in the right body, but still face prolonged discrimination. All this then has a bad impact on their mental health.

Psychological problems that are often experienced by transgender people

Transgender people experience a condition called gender dysphoria. This condition makes a person feel uncomfortable or depressed because they feel that their biological gender does not match the gender identity they believe in.

Gender conflict has various impacts for everyone who experiences it. Some people may wish to express themselves by wearing clothes of the opposite sex, some may want to change their own designation, and some may take a step further by undergoing sex change surgery.

However, not everyone with gender dysphoria through a smooth path in recognizing his identity. Launching the University of Rochester Medical Center website, many LGBTQ + people have difficulty determining their sexuality and conveying it to the people closest to them.

Transgender and gender dysphoria is not a mental illness, but the difficulties they face which then trigger these psychological problems. Here are some of the psychological problems they are prone to:

1. Anxiety disorders

Nearly half of the transgender population in the United States has an anxiety disorder. In fact, a deep study International Journal of Transgenderism mentioned that the risk of anxiety disorders in transgender people is three times greater than that of average people.

This disorder usually arises from rejection during the transition to the new gender. According to Simran Shaikh, a human rights activist and member of the HIV / AIDS Alliance in India, transgender people often face strong resistance from those they are closest to.

This rejection makes them unable to fully express themselves, or even just express their feelings. As a result, they are prone to experiencing anxiety disorders that grow over time.

2. Depression

Researchers from Boston University and several other universities conducted a survey of 71 campuses in the United States. This survey aims to determine the number of sufferers of psychological problems among students with gender minorities, including transgender people.

As a result, about 78% of participants from gender minority groups met the criteria for one or more psychological problems. As many as 60% of participants who felt they were not sex-matched met the criteria for depression, much higher than those who felt they were sex-matched.

Depression usually results from isolation and negative stigma from those around you. The behavior they receive gradually triggers prolonged stress, lowers self-confidence, and hinders their ability to carry out daily activities and socialize.

3. Self-harm and suicidal thoughts

Research conducted by researchers from Boston University also looked at the number of perpetrators self-harm and those who have had suicidal thoughts. According to the study, as many as 40% of transgender people admit to having attempted suicide before.

Referring to the Mental Health Commission of Canada, here are some factors that make transgender people prone to committing suicide attempts:

• Experiencing discrimination and physical, verbal and sexual violence.
• Lack of support from parents and relatives.
• The existence of policies in certain places that create a sense of insecurity.
• Stress and fear due to the gender transition process.
• Massive changes in lifestyle after gender transition.

4. Psychological problems in transgender people related to substance abuse

Another psychological problem that often occurs in transgender people is substance abuse such as alcohol, cigarettes and narcotics. One of the contributing factors is that they have difficulty placing themselves in a discriminatory society.

According to The Center for American Progress, about 20-30% of gay and transgender people have committed substance abuse. This figure is much higher than the number of substance abusers in the general population which is only 9 percent.

Substance abuse can lead to new problems such as addiction, especially if the person experiencing it also has trauma and is excluded. In fact, this figure may be reduced by avoiding discriminatory behavior.

Transgender people and everyone who is part of LGBTQ + are a group that is vulnerable to psychological problems. The causes are very diverse, ranging from difficulties in accepting identity to discriminatory behavior from the environment.

In addition, LGBTQ + people who experience psychological problems also tend to get a double negative stigma. Their sexuality is considered a psychiatric illness, and at the same time is also assessed as the cause of other psychological problems.

Psychological problems that afflict transgender people can actually reduce the risk. One of them is by eliminating discriminatory regulations in public places so that everyone has the same rights in their activities. In addition, education about sexuality is also important to reduce exclusionary behavior towards transgender people.